Board of Overseers of the Bar v. Anthony J. Sineni III, Esq.

On April 4, 2019, the Court conducted a sanctions hearing related to the above-captioned disciplinary matter pursuant to the agreed Order of February 19, 2019. Following negotiations, the parties informed the Court that they had reached agreement as to all remaining disputed issues except for a minor wording difference in ¶ 12, which the parties left for the Court to resolve.

Present at the hearing were Bar Counsel, Aria Eee, on behalf of the Board of Overseers and Attorney Christopher Largay and his client Attorney Anthony J. Sineni. Also in attendance were Maine Assistant Program (MAP) Director, William Nugent, Esq., and Board Executive Director Jacqueline Rogers.

Based upon the parties’ stipulations, the Court ORDERS:

1. As previously referenced in the February 19, 2019, Findings, Conclusions and Order, Sineni shall serve 9 months of the two-year suspension this Court imposed upon him.
2. The effective date of Sineni’s suspension is July 1, 2019.
3. Consistent with this Order and Maine Bar Rule 31, Sineni shall file all required client, court and counsel notifications. The Court specifically orders compliance with all provisions of Maine Bar Rule 31.
4. Additionally, Sineni shall pay $12,000 to the Board as partial reimbursement for its costs in prosecuting this disciplinary action.
5. Specifically, within twenty-one (21) days of the date of this Order, Sineni shall remit $1,500.00 to the Board.
6. Thereafter until the remaining balance is paid, Sineni shall remit to the Board a $1,000.00 payment, due on the 1st day of each month. The first $1,000.00 installment payment is due on June 1, 2019.
7. If Sineni fails to make his initial payments, the Board is permitted to initiate use of the automatic payment authorization executed by Sineni. He shall execute and remit that document on or before April 16, 2019.
8. Sineni acknowledges that nonpayment of any amounts owed to the Board shall result in an automatic bar to any reinstatement request.
9. Prior to any reinstatement filing, Sineni and Bar Counsel must agree on a Maine attorney to serve as a proposed Monitor for Sineni’s future practice. If the parties cannot agree, the Court shall select a Monitor during the reinstatement proceedings. Prior to that decision, the parties will have an opportunity to submit proposed Monitors for the Court’s consideration.
10. A Monitoring Order, governing the conditions of such work, will be issued after any such reinstatement proceedings.
11. In addition, Sineni and Bar Counsel must agree on an appropriate trust account program for Sineni’s attendance/participation prior to any readmission to practice. Any disputes concerning that proposed educational requirement shall be resolved by the Court.
12. On or before April 16, 2019, Sineni shall initiate and meet with the MAP Director, William Nugent, Esq. Attorney Nugent and Sineni shall mutually agree to the terms of the two-year MAP contract Sineni is ordered to execute. In the event of any disagreement, the differing terms of the contract shall be presented to the Court by 9:00 a.m. on April 16, 2019. The Court shall then decide the appropriate terms. The deadline for execution of the MAP contract is April 16, 2019. MAP shall provide a copy of that contract to the Court and Bar Counsel, both of whom shall maintain it as a confidential document, unless and until further notice of the Court.
13. If the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection (LFCP) pays any claims on behalf of Sineni (including after the effective date of the Court’s orders), he shall be responsible for reimbursement of those claims in a manner acceptable to the LFCP Trustees. Compliance with this provision shall be a consideration for the Court upon any petition for reinstatement.

Date: April 8, 2019

Donald G. Alexander
Associate Justice
Maine Supreme Judicial Court